Breathe
by Silent Amethyst
Summary: A quiet, sunny, spring afternoon filled with snoozing and appreciation for the finer things in life, including life itself. EdxWin


**This was just a little something inspired by the song Breathe by Faith Hill. It's not a songfic but it was supposed to keep in line with the lyrics. Don't know if I actually accomplished that, but i guess it doesn't really matter.**

**I do not in any form own Fullmetal Alchemist. That particular honor is not mine.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Breathe**

It was a beautiful, warm, peaceful spring day. The bright green leaves of trees rustled in the gentle breeze and chartreuse grasses and white, lavender, and yellow flowers below frolicked about. The sun shone strong and brilliantly, warming the earth it stood over faithfully for countless millennium, sustaining the life upon it for yet another day.

Life. It's so unpredictable. One moment it could be here and the next gone forever. It truly was a precious thing to attain. Unfortunately, it was also one of the easiest things to take for granted. Only in the face of death could one truly come to appreciate it for what it was.

Just weeks ago, thousands, millions had been forced to do just that, including herself. Granted, there was no recollection of what had happened; it was like fainting and then hours later waking up. But the knowledge that even for a little while, she and the hundreds of thousands of people within the borders of Amestris had been dead…to say the least, it definitely put things into perspective.

And to think that the one who had given them all another chance at life, who had put his own life on the line for the benefit of countless others, was lazily napping against the trunk of a large oak tree right beside her, was so incredible, so mind-boggling, so inconceivable, that it left her usually rampant and outspoken mouth without words.

Taking her gaze away from the landscape, Winry looked to the lightly snoring blond to her right, resting her cheek on her knees and smiling serenely.

This moment, although nothing special to an onlooker, was precious in its own way too. After all, with all that had taken place in the past six years, after the number of opportunities that had come to pass to take away his life, a number that she didn't even dare to consider, Edward was still alive.

It really was a miracle that she was able to watch him sleep at that very moment. By all means, he should have been dead. Any normal person who faced the things he had would have been.

Then again, Edward wasn't exactly what one would call normal, unless being a prodigy by the age of twelve was considered normal.

And Winry couldn't be anymore thankful for that.

A sudden, strong gust blew. The leaves of the tree above them cavorted noisily, allowing speckles of sunlight to streak through and dot his face. His bangs flipped around, more than once tickling his nose—which brought forth a series of giggles from Winry, for every time they did his nose would scrunch up and twitch uncomfortably—before settling back down, albeit somewhat but not terribly tangled.

Maybe a minute passed before she felt an overwhelming desire to fix that small mess. It made her feel silly at first, seeing it as just an excuse to touch him in such a peaceful state that otherwise she would be content to leave undisturbed. But that desire grew with every second that passed until finally it became too much to suppress and she was moved to action.

It wasn't like playing around with his hair was going to wake him up or anything. And so what if it did? It wasn't as if she hadn't run her fingers through his hair before.

Edward didn't so much as flinch as Winry straddled his lap and began brushing her fingers through his bangs. They really hadn't been all that tangled, as it took hardly ten seconds—twenty maybe since she had lingered a little longer than necessary-- to straighten out each side. Of course, having finished the initial cause for her moving to sit on him didn't mean she had to move. And as a matter of fact, she didn't want to. The view she had now was much better than what she could get sitting beside him.

There really was no way anyone could call him a kid anymore, she silently admitted. Aside from having grown to be a towering five foot eight inches—something he took much pride in, although she would tease him that by comparison, he was still shorter than average—his facial features had lost their boyish roundness, taking on a more slender and rigid structure. And then, of course, there was the light, hardly recognizable stubble that he was profusely determined, even adamant, to keep that way. And that was just fine with her. She couldn't imagine him having a beard anyway. The image just didn't fit.

And of course, how could she forget the taut, wiry muscles that made up majority of his body; that had been attained and toned through years of hour's worth of training, exercises, and fighting. The close proximity that being his automail mechanic required offered ample opportunity to not only admire them, but to touch them as well. And she took full advantage of that, for those were the only times she could actually get away with it without causing unwanted embarrassment.

But as appreciative as she was of that particular aspect of Edward's physique, what hypnotized, what took her breath away the most were his eyes. They were a beautiful shade of gold that she had yet to see mimicked on anybody else and likely never would. After all, it was such a rare color in a country whose inhabitants were mostly blue-eyed. The closest match she had ever come across was Alphonse's, and even then his golden eyes were duller, more of a whiskey hue.

As Winry examined her snoozing friend and contemplated those ideas, she came to two conclusions:

She had fallen in love with an Adonis.

And she was very lucky he had been too preoccupied to pay any mind to women who were just as appreciative of his physical attributes as she was.

But it wasn't just physical aspects that attracted her to him though, and that was the one advantage she had over anyone else. For as annoying, indignant, hard-headed, and aggravating Ed could be, no matter how many times he got onto her last nerve and very nearly made her want to scream…he could also be compassionate, protective, humble, selfless to a fault, and many other things as well. And even though that softer side had its rough edges, she had come long ago to accept that was just a part of the package. She loved him just for who he was, and there wasn't a thing in the world that could change that.

Almost of it's own volition, her left hand rose up and glided along his jaw, very slightly lifting up his chin, just enough that the soft snoring stopped. The sudden temptation to want to kiss him was almost too much to ignore. It would have been so easy to, too. But that would be taking advantage of the situation, the fact that he was asleep and she was sitting on him, which would make escape very difficult were he to wake up, something that was sure to happen were she to give in to said desires. But that wasn't how Winry wanted their first kiss to be; she didn't want to feel like she was forcing it on him. She wanted it to be reciprocated willingly, voluntarily, and for that, she could wait.

Yes, it would hurt, like waiting always had, but in the end she knew it would be worth it. That she could say with confidence.

So, having denied every cell in her body that particular pleasure and still not desiring to move herself back onto the grass, Winry took, at least what was in her mind, the next best option, and lay down on top of him.

If it were up to her, she would never move again. The feeling of their bodies being so close together, an instance that was so rare it was almost a foreign concept, was quite satisfying and comforting. It was an intimate yet innocent act, and the only way it could get any better were if his arms were to wrap themselves around her, holding her in place.

Another gusty breeze blew, breaking the quiet of the afternoon before dying back down, until the only sound reaching Winry's ears was faint beating of his heart.

Faint, but strong, each _th-thump _keeping in rhythm with the rise and fall of his chest. It was a soothing sound, even lulling, as she found herself closing her eyes and listening attentively, ingraining it into her memory. It was as if she were fearful even the slightest disturbance or distraction would leave her without the repetitive two note melody forever. It was a symbol of the life she was all too aware had come so close to being eternally lost multiple times. It was a sound that meant only one thing: he was alive.

_Alive…_

_It really is a miracle that I have the chance to listen to this. _Winry thought gratefully.

The combination of the rhythmic yet subtle rise and fall of each taken breath with the consoling beating soon put Winry in the throes of dozing off. But before she had the chance she was jostled back into awareness of her surroundings by shifting and stretching below her.

_Ed's awake_. She realized.

She didn't move, feeling almost frozen in place by panic.

A few unsettling moments went by without a word.

She tried to relax. _What's there to worry about anyway? _She tried to convince herself.

"Winry?" he sounded…uncomfortable…that was the best way to describe it.

"Hmm?" she was trying valiantly to quickly come up with an explanation.

"Why are you laying on top of me?"

"I…" _Just tell the truth_. There was nothing to be ashamed of after all. "I was just listening." She finally said, albeit quietly.

"To what?" he still sounded uneasy, but that seemed overshadowed by curiosity now.

"…to your heartbeat." Winry answered shyly, tensing up as soon as she made her confession, expecting him to laugh at her childishness and even add a cynical or sarcastic response to further embarrass her. Just imagining it made her bristle, and she subconsciously reached towards her waist.

What she was expecting never came, only a quiet, "Oh."

Her hand stopped its descent and dropped to her side. The anger that had been broiling underneath her skin quickly dissipated, as if it had never been there.

All she could be was stunned.

Edward shifted underneath her again, trying to sit up.

"I, I could get up if you want me too." She offered softly, reluctantly. She really had become comfy laying on him, but if it was making him uncomfortable…

Winry could feel him shaking his head as his chin swept lightly across the top of her own. "No, you don't have to." He answered, once again relaxing against the tree.

She didn't say anything. Twice in less than two minutes and he hadn't failed to stun her into silence.

It left a certain fluttery feeling in her heart, being able to lie up against Edward as she had for at least the past half hour, and having him aware of it. She had offered to get up, but he had objected, admitting all but the fact he didn't want her to. Of course, she couldn't be sure exactly why he had refused her offer, but she liked the idea that maybe it was a sign that her feelings for him _were _reciprocated. It made a tingly feeling rush through her veins, and she smiled.

She turned her head so that she was looking up into his face. He was looking past her, out into the distance, his beautiful golden eyes focused on some object or scene unknown to her. That was okay with her. When he was focused, it was next to never that his attention would be divided. It allowed her time to do some 'focusing' of her own again.

Maybe it was the new-founded confidence that had sprouted within her or maybe it was just a hormonal response to the way the corner of his mouth suddenly curled up into half a smile. It didn't matter and she didn't care.

With one quick movement, Winry kissed him on the small space between his cheek and mouth. Just a friendly peck really, but leaving the implication of being something more than of a platonic nature.

As suddenly as the mysterious smile had appeared on Edward's face, it disappeared, replaced by a stoic line as his attention was drawn onto her. His brazen cheeks took on an increasingly pink tint and golden eyes betrayed shock at her unprecedented behavior.

Winry giggled. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed.

"What was that for?" It sounded like he wanted to be mad but wasn't incapable of pulling it off.

"Does it matter? It's not like it's against the law or something for two friends of a platonic nature to kiss." She answered innocently.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But that was more than a platonic kiss."

"What? This?" she did kissed him again in the same place.

"Stop that!" His cheeks reddened even more as his hand slapped over the place where her lips had touched his skin and turned his face away to keep her from doing it again. "And stop laughing!"

It took her a several seconds to contain her giggles but she did concede, settling on a wide grin. "Okay, fine. But really, I don't see why you're making it into such a big deal." Winry wrapped her arms around his middle and nestled her head back down onto his chest.

He didn't respond.

With the only sound permeating between them being the breeze, Winry was easily able to fall back into the pastime she had taken up while Ed had been asleep. The synchronized rhythm of his beating heart and breathing really was calming, like the lullaby's her mother used to sing her at bedtime every night. It was constant she could rely on to always be there for her when she needed it.

_Rise._

_Th-thump._

_Fall. _

_Th-thump._

_Rise._

_Th-thump._

_Fall._

_Th-thump._

The throes of sleeps soon crept there way into her again. Before she fell completely into their depths though…

"Hey, Ed?" she asked sleepily.

"Yea, Win?"

She smiled softly at the use of his nickname for her. "Thanks."

"…What for?"

Winry considered how she wanted to answer. She could be straightforward, but being vague would sound so much more…pretty. Not to mention it would give him something to think about as she rested on top of him, leaving him incapable of going anywhere.

"For still breathing." She finally answered.

Again, he failed to respond to her claim, but she had been expecting that.

How much time had passed she hadn't a clue, but just as the last thread keeping her in the world of awareness began to bare, Winry felt two arms, one metal and one flesh, cold and warm, encircle around her bare waist and lips gently kiss her hair. "And I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

She smiled. He was a quick one.

Maybe she wouldn't have to wait long for that first kiss.

_I really am the luckiest girl in the world. _

That was the last fading thought to pass through Winry's mind as she drifted off to sleep.

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**And there it is. Pretty good for being my first for this fandom if I do say so myself, but I'll leave you all to decide that for yourselves. **

**All reviews are welcome.**

**Sayonara for now! **


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